2022 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 15
$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  4,259
Prize Pool:  $2,214,680
March 31 – April 3, 2022

There was a massive field of 4,259 entries for Event 15 ($600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em), and after six starting flights, Day 2, and then Day 3, Michael Nye and Juan Endara agreed to a heads-up deal. As chipleader, Nye was awarded the title, the trophy, and $328,683.

Primarily a cash game player who learned poker from his late father, this is by far the biggest tournament score of Nye’s career.

“I had my father with me the whole way,” said Nye, who kept his father’s old driver’s license next to his chip stack. “He loved poker, and that’s why he was on the final table with me.”

Nye began Day 3 as the chipleader with 14 players remaining, but his key hand came with six players left. (Click here for the details of this hand.)

“I got very lucky, blind vs. blind against Ian [O’Hara], who is a great player,” said Nye. “He was raising a lot. I was in the big blind, he was in the small blind. He raises again, I shove ace-jack, and he wakes up with ace-king. And I spiked a jack. That was the one lucky hand that really got me going.”

If it weren’t for that jack on the flop, Nye would have been eliminated in sixth place, but instead he doubled up to 83 big blinds. O’Hara, arguably the toughest player at the final table with more than $3.75 million in career tournament earnings, dropped to five big blinds, and was eliminated shortly after that in sixth place.

Nye has three daughters in college, so he figures the money he won can be put to good use. And he closed out his victory by thanking his wife.

“I’d like to thank my wife for going through the lifestyle of a poker wife.”

Final Results:

* Indicates the results of a heads-up deal.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 39:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 4,259

After the elimination of Ricardo Velasco in third place, the final two players agreed to an ICM deal to end the tournament. These were the official chip counts:

Michael Nye  –  60,800,000  (61 bb)
Juan Endara  –  24,300,000  (24 bb)

And these were the payouts they agreed to:

1st:  Michael Nye  –  $328,683
2nd:  Juan Endara  –  $273,222

As chipleader, Nye is awarded the title and the trophy. Here is the full list of final table payouts:

1st:  Michael Nye  –  $328,683 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  Juan Endara  –  $273,222
3rd:  Ricardo Velasco  –  $172,250
4th:  Bradley Coultas  –  $133,050
5th:  Evan Teitelbaum  –  $100,730
6th:  Ian O’Hara  –  $74,290
7th:  Steven McKoy  –  $53,405
8th:  Raminder Singh  –  $42,525
9th:  Jonathan Kranker  –  $32,845

Stay tuned for a recap from this event, which will be posted later tonight.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 39:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,259

One hand after being knocked down to just 300K, Ricardo Velasco called all in blind from the button. Michael Nye completed the small blind to 1,000,000, and Juan Endara checked his option in the big blind.

With the big blind ante of 1,000,000 and 300K from each player, there was 1.9 million in the main pot, and another 1.4 million in the side pot between Nye and Endara.

Nye and Endara checked to the river on a board of . Nye checked, Endara bet 2.0 million, and Nye folded. Endara took the side pot.

For the main pot, Velasco showed for two pair, sixes and threes. But Endara turned over to win the pot with an ace-high flush, eliminating Velasco in third place.

Ricardo Velasco  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($172,250)

Here are the official chip counts for the start of heads-up play, followed by the remaining payouts:

Michael Nye  –  60,800,000  (61 bb)
Juan Endara  –  24,300,000  (24 bb)

1st:  $365,605 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  $236,300

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 39:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,259

Juan Endara raised from the button to about 2.5 million, Ricardo Velasco moved all in from the small blind for about 10.5 million, and Endara snap-called all in for about 10.5 million with .

Velasco turned over , and the two players were nearly even in chips.

The board came — there was a club flush draw for the board on the turn, and since neither player had a club, it would have chopped the pot, saving Velasco. But the river card was a heart, and Endara won the pot with his pocket queens.

The chip stacks were counted down, and Endara had 10.5 million to Velasco’s 10.8 million, leaving Velasco with just 300,000 in chips — less than a small blind.

Seat 1.  Ricardo Velasco  –  300,000  (<1 sb)
Seat 2.  Michael Nye  –  61,800,000  (62 bb)
Seat 3.  Juan Endara  –  23,300,000  (23 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 28.4 million (28 big blinds), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $172,250 each.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 39:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,259

Juan Endara raised from the button to 2.8 million, and Michael Nye called from the big blind.

Both players checked to the river on a board of . Nye bet 2.5 million, and Endara snap-called.

Nye showed for a ten-high straight-flush, and Endara mucked.

Seat 1.  Ricardo Velasco  –  12,900,000  (13 bb)
Seat 2.  Michael Nye  –  59,000,000  (59 bb)
Seat 3.  Juan Endara  –  13,200,000  (13 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 28.4 million (28 big blinds), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $172,250 each.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 39:  500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,259

The players returned from break to begin Level 39, with increased blinds of 500,000-1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante.

The action has been relatively slow, but Michael Nye has slowly built up his stack to more than 50 million in chips. Here are the official chip counts from the break:

Seat 1.  Ricardo Velasco  –  16,900,000  (17 bb)
Seat 2.  Michael Nye  –  51,100,000  (51 bb)
Seat 3.  Juan Endara  –  17,100,000  (17 bb)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 28.4 million (28 big blinds). Here are the final table payouts:

1st:  $365,605 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  $236,300
3rd:  $172,250

4th:  Bradley Coultas  –  $133,050
5th:  Evan Teitelbaum  –  $100,730
6th:  Ian O’Hara  –  $74,290
7th:  Steven McKoy  –  $53,405
8th:  Raminder Singh  –  $42,525
9th:  Jonathan Kranker  –  $32,845

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,259

After the elimination of Bradley Coultas in fourth place, the final three players took a few minutes to discuss a potential deal, allowing us to get official chip counts:

Seat 1.  Ricardo Velasco  –  23,700,000  (40 bb)
Seat 2.  Michael Nye  –  31,600,000  (53 bb)
Seat 3.  Juan Endara  –  29,800,000  (50 bb)

After a few minutes they decided to keep playing. Here are the remaining payouts at stake:

1st:  $365,605 + Showdown trophy
2nd:  $236,300
3rd:  $172,250

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 4,259

Juan Endara completed the small blind to 600,000, and Bradley Coultas checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came , Endara bet 1,000,000, Coultas raised to 3,000,000, and Endara moved all in.

Coultas called all in for about 7,500,000 with for an open-ended straight draw with a heart flush draw, and Endara turned over for a seven-high straight. Coultas needed to improve to stay alive.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Endara won the pot with his straight to eliminate Coultas in fourth place.

Juan Endara  –  29,800,000  (50 bb)
Bradley Coultas  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($133,050)

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 28.4 million (47 big blinds), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $172,250 each.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 4,259

Juan Endara raised from the button to 1,200,000, Bradley Coultas moved all in from the small blind for 5,000,000, and Endara called with .

Coultas turned over , and needed to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and Coultas spiked an ace on the river to win the pot with a pair of aces and double up in chips.

Bradley Coultas  –  11,200,000  (19 bb)
Juan Endara  –  16,200,000  (27 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 21,275,000 (35 big blinds), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $133,050 each.

$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 37:  300,000/600,000 with a 600,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 4,259

Bradley Coultas moved all in from the small blind for 19,700,000, and Ricardo Velasco thought for a bit before he called all in for 13,500,000 from the big blind with .

Coultas turned over , and Velasco needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and the pocket sevens held up for Velasco to win the pot and double up in chips.

Ricardo Velasco  –  27,600,000  (46 bb)
Bradley Coultas  –  6,200,000  (10 bb)

With four players remaining, the average chip stack is about 21,275,000 (35 big blinds), and the remaining players are guaranteed at least $133,050 each.